Rotary engine



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eineny PETER C. PETERSEN, OF CEDAR FALLS, IOWA, ASSIGNOR T0 VIKING PUMPCOMPANY,

` OF CEDAR FALLS, IOWA ROTARY ENG-INE Application-filed November 2S,1927. Serial No. 236,166.

My invention relates to a rotary engine which may also be employed as arotary pump. One object of the invention is to provide an engine of thischaracter which will be simple in construction and comparativelyinexpensive, but which at the same time will be efIi-cient in operationand capable of producing an exceptional amount 0f power when used as anengine, and a. strong, steady flow of fluid when used as a pump.

Another object is to provide a rotary engin having an improvedconstruction of rotor and means whereby the rotor will be firmly held inoperative position in the casing.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention Iconsists inthe novel featuresof construction hereinafterv pointed out and claimed,reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is alongitudinal, horizontal section taken through thecenter of the casingand showing the rot-or in full lines.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.`t

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

. ports are oppositely-disposed,

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the rotor and one ofthe end coverplates ofthe casing showing the manner in which the cams onthe coverplate act on the blades or vanes of the rotor.

Figures 5 and 6 are diagrammatic end elevations of the casing showingmore Iclearly the arrangement of the inlet and outlet ports and channelsconnecting the same.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the cylinder or cylindrical casing which ispreferably cast integral with a suitable supportng base 2. The cylinderor casing vis open at both ends and has formed in one side an externalintake port 4 and in its opposite side an external discharge port 5.These ports are-disposed directly opposite to each other, and projectingfrom the sides of the casing around these internally threaded bosses orsockets 6 for the reception of piping through which fluid enters and isdischarged from the casing. v

The intake port 4 Icommunicates at its inner f end with two inletchannels 7 and 8 'which any suitable manner.

are formed in the adjacent side of the casing and which communicate attheir inner ends with internal inlet ports 9 and 10. The discharge port5 communicates at its inner end with two outlet channels 11 and 12formed in the adjacent side of the casing and which in turn communicateat their inner y ends with two outlet ports 13 and 14.

rllhese internal inletand outlet ports are located near the oppositeends of the `casing and are so arranged that there will be one inlet andone outlet port disposed directly opposite to each other in each end ofthe casing.

The cylinder or casing is preferably provided with a bushing 15 `whichextends through and is preferably sweated into the casing, but which maybe secured therein in The bushing is provided with openings which alignwith the internal inlet and discharge port-s.

The open ends of the cylinder or casing are closed by removable coverplates or heads 16 which are preferably secured-to the ends of the`casing by screws 17 which engage threaded openings in said ends of thecasing. Suitable gaskets are disposed between the Cover 'plates and endsof the casing to form fluid tight joints between these parts.

On the outer sides of the cover plates are tubular extensions 19, whichform bearings for the ends of the rotor shaft, and which are providedwith suitable bushings and stuh'iing boxes to form a fluid tightbearing. In the inner sides of the cover platesA or cylinder heads 16,and 'concentric with the bearing openings therein, are annular recesses20, the

purpose of which will be hereinafter de-4 scribed.

0n the inner sides of the cylinder heads or cover plates are arrangedcam-shaped abutments 21 which are preferably formed integral with theheads, and project into the ends of the casing. Each abutment is formedwith two segmental-shaped cam surfaces 22 which extend in oppositedirections from the central high part or block of the abutment andincline t the inner surface of the plates or heads. The abutment camsare so arranged on the heads that, when the engine is assembled, the

highest part of the abutment on one cylinder head will be -directlyopposite the lowest part of the. abutment on the other cylinder head.

Rotatably mounted in the cylinder or casing is a cylindrical rotor orpiston 23 which is keyed or otherwise securely fastened to a shaft 2lmounted in the bearings in the cylinder heads. On the opposite ends ofthe i'otor are formed cylindrical projections 25 which extend into theannular recesses 20 in the cylinder heads and hold the rotor againstendwise movement or thrust and also steady the rotor in its rotation.The rotor or piston is provided with' a plurality of longitudinallydisposed, radially extending slots or passages 26, the lower portions ofwhich extend entirely through or across the cylindrical projections 25on the ends of the rotor as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.In the slots or passages 26 are mounted the blades or vanes 27 of thepiston, said blades being adapted to slide back and forth in thc slots2G under tlieactioii of the abutment cams which engage the ends of theplates at their outer edges. The cam engaged portions of the ends of theblades are beveled toform V-shaped cam-engaging surfaces` as shown at 28in Figure 4. By thus forming the cam engaging portions of the ends ofthe blades friction between the same and the surfaces of the cams isreduced. The inner edges of the blades which engage and slide on thebottoms of the notches are flat, while the outer edges of the blades areslightly rounded to conform to the annular surface of the casing or thebushing therein.

In the annular recesses 2O 0f the cylinder heads are preferably, but notnecessarily, seated flat collars or wear plates 29 against which theends of the projections 25 on the ends of the piston or rotor bear.

In the operation of the device, the cam surfaces of the abutmentsalternately shift the blades back and forth through the slots in thepiston` and, when used as an engine, steam or other Huid under pressureenters the intake port on one, side of the cylinder or casing and passesthrough the inlet channels and into the cylinder and forcibly engagesthe blades as they are alternatively projected into the opposite ends ofthe cylinder by the cam abutments. As the blades are alternativelyretracted from the opposite ends of the cylinder, the exhausted steamwill be discharged through the outlet channels and ports in the oppositeside of the cylinder as will be readily understood.

I Vlien the device is used as a pump, the piston is rotated by powerapplied to the shaft. and the blades are reciprocated in the piston aspreviously described. As the blades are thus alternately projected intoand retracted from the opposite ends of the cylinder. the water or otherfluid will be drawn into the cylinder through theintake portsl andchannels in one side of the cylinder or casing and expelled through theoutlet channels and ports in the opposite side of the cylinder. Thisintake and expulsion takes place alternatively and simultaneously atboth ends of the cylinder, causing a constant stream to flow from theoutlet port.

llVhile I have shown and described the preferred construction,variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim In a rotary engine, a cylinder casing having open ends, opposedinlet and outlet ports and a plurality'of sets of internal inlet andoutlet channels, the inlet and outlet channels of each set communicatingwithv the inlet and outlet ports respectively and being arranged inopposed relation within the casing, and the respective sets of channelsbeing arranged side by side, cover plates secured to the open ends ofthe cylinder casing and havingcam members fitted therein, lyingoutwardly of the plane of the opposed inlet and outlet ports, a shaftjournalled in the cover plates, aA rotor fixed on said shaft, and a onepiece annular bushing interposed between the rotor and cylinder casing,said bushing being fitted between the cam members and the cylindercasing and clamped in position thereby, said bushing having sets ofinlet and outlet nels in the casing for the How of fluid.

In testimony whereof I afIiX my signature.

PETER C. PETERSEN.

4ports therein communicating with the chan-

